Eliot Kamenitz/The Times-PicayuneNew Orleans Hornets lead assistant coach Michael Malone is a candidate for the vacant Houston Rockets head coaching job, according to league sources.

But Hornets General Manager Dell Demps said the Rockets have not asked for permission yet to contact Malone about the opening. Malone signed a two-year contract with the Hornets last June.

The Hornets are in the playoffs for the first time since 2009 and enter Game 2 on Wednesday night holding a 1-0 series lead against the Los Angeles Lakers, whom they upset 109-100 on Sunday.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with all of that, but I know he’s held in high regard throughout the league and it’s only a matter of time,’’ Hornets Coach Monty Williams said.

“He’s put the work in; he’s got a lot of respect for the position of head coach. He hasn’t gone after jobs the way I’ve seen other guys do. He’s a prime candidate.''

Former coach Rick Adelman and the Rockets mutually agreed to part ways on Monday. In four seasons with the Rockets, Adelman had a 193-135 record but the Rockets failed to advance to the playoffs for the past two seasons.

“My whole focus right now is on beating the Lakers,’’ Malone said after Tuesday’s practice. “As I said many times before, I have aspirations of being a head coach, but the No. 1 task at hand right now is helping this team and helping Monty anyway I can in terms of preparing for Game 2 and the rest of this series and whatever series after that.’’

Before Williams hired Malone, he spent five seasons as an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Malone’s father, Brendan Malone, is an assistant with the Orlando Magic and former head coach of the Cavaliers.

Note: Backup center Aaron Gray sat out practice for the second consecutive day with a sprained right ankle. He is still walking with a protective boot and the Hornets list him as questionable for Game 2. After scoring a season-high 12 points, Gray suffered the injury during the fourth quarter in Sunday's Game 1.